Germany made a powerful statement ahead of their opening World Cup game against Japan on Wednesday.
The four-time winners were one of the teams planning on taking to Qatar 2022 with the ‘OneLove’ armband sported by their captain, but took the decision not to wear it in light of threats of sporting punishments from FIFA.
Captains such as the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk, Wales’ Gareth Bale and England’s Harry Kane were also set to join German skipper Manuel Neuer in doing so.
However, amidst speculation that captains could be yellow-carded from the get-go if they were to follow through on their plans to sport the armband, all the nations planning on wearing it have hitherto opted against doing so.
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How did Germany protest vs Japan?
But that didn’t stop Germany from making an emphatic statement as they took to the pitch at the Khalifa International Stadium, making their feelings very clear as part of a defiant squad photo.
In what is the classic pose of players lining up in two rows before a match, Hansi Flick’s XI produced an enduring image by placing their hands over their mouths to symbolise that they had been silenced.
Manuel Neuer and Ilkay Gundogan were also pictured wearing football boots with rainbow inflections for the match, presumably as an extra show of support for LGBTQ+ individuals.
What did Germany say in their statement?
This defiant move from the German side was backed up by a powerful statement, which read: “We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect. Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard.
“It wasn’t about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable. That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position.”
What is the OneLove armband?
According to The i, OneLove was created by the Dutch Football Association in the Netherlands in September 2020 “to promote unity and stand against discrimination”, spreading the message that every football fan has one thing in common: their love for the game.
The armband features a heart with a number one in the middle as well as multicoloured stripes in red, black, green, yellow and blue.
The Netherlands’ Georginio Wijnaldum is previously quoted as saying about the armband: “By wearing this armband we want to emphasise that we stand for inclusiveness and connection.
“We are against any form of exclusion and discrimination. We hope to support everyone who feels discriminated against across the world.”
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It has previously been seen worn in pre-tournament games with England’s Kane, for example, sporting the armband during the UEFA Nations League clash with Italy in the most recent international break.
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